Quick-assembled sectional cabinet



" Jan14,41936. HDGYER '2,028,058

QUICK ASSEMBLED SECTIONAL CABINET Filed Feb. 11, 1955 2 sheets-smet 1 Jan. 14,1936. H D, GEYERl l f 2,028,058

QUICK AssEMBLED sEoTloNAL CABINET Filed Feb. 11,1955 2 sheets-sheet 2' v Harvey E Seyer www Patented inn.I '14, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT omer.

'QUICK-Assmmn ssc'nolvar. calamar' Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton, Ohio, as signor, by

mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Dela-A appnnnaon February 11, 193s; No. 656,241

\ 7 (Cl. 22o-9) This invention relates to cabinet construction,

such as ice cream and food cabinets, and has particular reference to cabinets .which may be shipped in'knocked-down form and afterwards easily and quickly assembled for use.

This invention applies in general toy the.`

cheaper types of cabinetswhere the cost of shipmentV in completely assembled form would be a relatively large percentage ofV the total retail sales price. The general object of this invention .therefore is .to provide a cabinet construction which is especiallysuitable to be completelymanufactured in disassembled form, but which can be quickly and easily assembled after shipment without the use of alarge number of small detached parts, such as smallbolts, screws, etc.

A prime feature of this invention is the composite corner strips of metal and a resilient interior body, such as rubber, which may be comi pletely manufactured as a unitary form and shipped with the unassembled wall panels of the cabinet. Then upon assembling the cabinet, the separate wall panels are simply-inserted within grooves in the composite corner strips,-` and the corner strips then compressed (byl simple means built as a unitary part thereof) to tightly clamp the margins ofthe wall panels.v

.thereto and so build up the cabinet.

metal unitary corner "strips is the great ease and emciency of\ assembling the wallpanels thereto andthe provision of a sealedcorner `.'loint thereby in a veryI simple manner. Va

or refrigerated foods in containers-with dry iceV as the refrigerant. .'No thick heat insulating |walls' are shown, but of course if such are de-l additiqnal slabs of heat insulating boards could,be easily added as an interior lining to the outer cabinet construction which yis the subject matter of this invention.

ma 2 sa section taken on une 2,-,2' n: rig. 1

An 'especial 4advantage of such rubber and.

rious other structural advantages of this invenand Ashows a section through the upper and lower horizontal corners of the cabinet.'

Fig. 3`is a section taken on line 2-3 of Fig. 1 and shows a section through a vertical corner of the` cabinet. 5 Fig. 4 is a section taken online .4-4 of Fig. l and' shows how the vertical composite corner strip also seals the joint with the cabinet top.

Fig. 5 shows a 'modified form of cabinet construction, and is a vertical section taken through 1o a cabinet corresponding to the view line 2.2 of Fig. 1. y Fig. 6 is adetail view showing a vertical sec` tion through a sheet metal vertical wall.

Fig. .'7 shows a modined form of composite 15 corner strip wherein there are no screw heads visible from the outside of the cabinet. This form of corner strip may be used at the vertical corners 'of the cabinet construction shown in Fig. 5, or at either the vertical or bottom hori- 2o zontal corners of the cabinet construction shown in Fig. l as an alternative to the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Similar'referencecharacters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.` 4

The cabinet of Fig. l1 comprises four vertical composite corner strips I0 and four similar bottom horizontal composite corner strips II.l The vplain flat' sidev wall panels I2 and the bottom panel I3 are illustrated as a relatively thick 3o molded composition, such as awood fiber .board 'or masonite, however panels I2 and I2 .may be of sheet metal if desired. These panels I2 and I 3 are held securely in place by the composite corner strips Ill and II`to form the boxconstruc.- $5 tion of the cabinet.

These composite corner strips as shown'in Figs. 1 to 4 will now be described.. Each composite strip or corner post III comprises an outer. metal'angle 20, an inner metal plate 2I, and 40 -an interposed resilient rubber strip 22 having grooves 23 molded'therein and adapted to recelve the marginal edges ofthe vertical panels I2` (see Fig. 3). Preferably the rubber strip 22 is bonded to the metal strips 2li and 2I by vul- 46 canization in situ, or it may be vulcanized to either one of these metal strips and the other metal stripapplied thereto and secured in place by the series of spaced bolts 24 and to nuts 25.

Preferably the nuts 25 are welded in place to the 50 inner metal strip 2| in korder to facilitate the insertion of the bolts 24 and. the assemblingof the composite strips I0. The outer surface of the outer strip 2| is preferably covered with a thinstrip 26 of finishing metal such as stainless I5 steel, or it may be nished by surface plating or by the application of lacquer or enamel. 'Ihe composite corner post I is made and assembled as above described as a separate unit. Now 5 when the cabinet is assembled, the margins of the panels I2 are inserted snugly. into the grooves 23 in the resilient rubber 22 and then the metal strips 20 and 2| drawn together by tightening the bolts 24, thereby compressing the rubber tightly upon the marginsof panels I2 and thereby securing them to the corner posts I8 and at the same time providing a sealed joint between panels I2 and the corner post I8. Obviously such clamping of the panels I2 to the corner post I8 may be very simply done from the .exterior of the cabinet simply by tightening bolts 24 with a screw-driver. As-shown in Figs.

A 1 and 2, the outer metal angle strips 28 may vextend below the bottom I3 of the cabinet and 20 provide the short legs 21 therefor.

The bottomhorizontal composite corner .strips may be made and assembled in a similar manner to that above described for the corner posts I0. A section through the composite cor- 25 ner strip II is clearly shown in'the lower part of Fig. 2, wherein the similar reference numerals designate the corresponding parts of the verti.

cal corner posts I8 shown in .section in Fig. 3. Obviously the margins of the bottom panel I3 and the bottom margins of the side'panels I2 are inserted snugly in the grooves in the rubber strips 22', and thensecurely'clampedinplace by tightening the series oi' bolts 24'.. Preferably the vertical rubber strip 22 of the corner post I8 extends downbelow the bottom end of the inner metal strip 2| and has a rubber pad 28 thereon (see Fig. 3) against which the bottom panel I3 abuts when it is insertedA iny place. This provides a sealed joint between the bottom 4o I3 'and the corner posts I0. This construction t is similar to that shown at' the upper end of the corner post I8 (see Fig. 4) where the rubber pad 28 projects beyond the upper end of the metal strip 2 and abuts against the top panel v 40 of the cabinet toiprovide a seal at the corners.

f vNow after the vertical side panels I2 and bottom I3 have, been assembled as described above,

the top panel` 48 -is assembled to the-cabinet tocomplete same. In Figs. 1 to 4 the top panel 50 48 is shown as of 'sheet metal having la marginal vdown-turned ange 4|. A resilient rubber strip kai of u-section with the` metal angle 43 bonded thereto is applied over the upper margins of the four vertical panels I2 between the four corner 55. posts 0. The top panel 48 is then set down over .the rubber strip 42. fitting quite snugly there- 1 upon. A series of small screws 45 are then inserted through registering' holes inthe flange 4| panels I2, metal angles 43 and rubber strip 6o 42, the holes in the angles 43 being threaded to receive screws 45. Now screws 45 may be easily tightened with a screw-driver to draw thefmetal angles 43 tightly upon the rubber strips 42, thereby causing the resilient rubber to bulge-in 65 all directions and provide a. tight seal between the side panels |2 and top panel 48. 'I'hecabivnet is then fully assembled andis substantially air-tight due to the rubber seals at all joints. The removable lids 46 in the top 48 provide 70 access tothe cabinet interior for the insertion of containers of ice cream or other food products.

. Ofl course any desired interior construction may be provided in addition tothe exterior cabinet construction which is the subjectmatter of this 75 invention,

Fig. *5 shows a modified form of cabinet construction, wherein the four vertical side panels may be first secured together in the manner de- A scribed above in connection with Figs. 1 to 4, and then the top and bottom panels-58 and 5| 5 secured to the assembled side walls by a series of vertical tie bolts 52. The top edges of the vertical side panels I2 have the molded resilient rubber strips 53applied thereupon and extend- ,ing from corner post to corner post on each 10 panel I2. Similarly the molded resilient rubber strips 54 are applied to the bottom edges of all the panels I2. Now whenl the top and bottom panels 58 and 5| are laid in position and the tie bolts 52 inserted in the holes provided there- 15 for, the entire assemblyis clamped rigidly -together by tightening nuts 55 which is readily done from the exterior `of the cabinet. Obviously the resilient,A rubber strips 53 and 54 are thereby compressed and caused lto provide a 2 0 tight sealed 'joint between the vertical walls |2- and the top and bottom walls. 58 and 5| rev spectively. The top panel 50 shown in Fig. 5

is of molded composition, such as wood fiber and a suitable binder therefor, having the threaded v25 metal inserts 60 therein adapted toreceive the threaded upper ends of' tie rods 52. `The outer exposed surface of the molded panel 58 is preferably covered witha thin sheet 56 of stainless steel, or other suitable material, which may be 30 crimped thereupon as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The separate cast metal feet 6| are `applied to the bottom side of the bottom panel 5| and held rigidly clamped in vplace by the tie bolts 52 extending through suitable holes\in a Vtop flange v35 62 thereon, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form wherein the vertical side panels are of sheet metal I2. These sheet metal panels I2' have a thickened-upper edge 10, formed by crimping several folds inthe 40 upper edge of the sheet metal, in order to .pro-

vvide ath'icker support for the resilient rubber strip 1| applied thereupon.A This forml of side panel I2' may be used with either of the cabinet constructions described above. lOf course the 45 bottom edges of the metal panels I2 may be made -similar to the top edges thereof shown in Fig.6. 'f

Fig.l 7 illustrates. another form .of composite corner strip which may be substituted for the 50 composite corner strips shown in section in Figs. 2 and 3; In other words the corner strip of Fig. 7 may be used either asthe vertical co'rner posts of the cabinet, or as the horizontal corner strips connecting the bottom I3 to the 55 lower edges of the vertical side panels I2. 'Ihe composite corner strip of Fig. 7 comprises an outer metal angle 8l) preferably of steel, to which the' inwardly projecting threaded studs 8| are welded, an inner metal angle strip 82, and the 60 interposed molded yresilient rubber body 83. Preferably the metal angle strips 88 and 82 are bonded to the rubber 83 by being vulcanized' thereto, so that the separate elements of the composite corner strip form a unitary construc- 65 tion which can be readily manufactured and shipped as a unit. The washers 83 and nuts 84 are applied to the projecting threaded ends of. studs 8| after the parts 80, 62 and 83 are removed from the' vulcanizing mold to form the'70 completeunitary composite corner strips. The rubber body 83 has suitable grooves or recesses 65 molded therein to receive with a neat ilt the marginal edges of the panelsl I2 to be connectedv together by theA corner strip. 'Ihe marginal 75 Y a,oaa,`osa edges of i2' are then clamped tightly in.- is compressed tightly upon -and substantially `place by tightening the` nut Il, which draws the metal angles,v Il and `Il closer together and highly compresses the intervening rubber strip upon the margins of the panels I2. The assembling of the entire cabinet is more fully deferred form, vit is to be understood that other" forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

VWhat is claimed is'as follows: 1. In a cabinet construction, in combination, a molded soft rubber corner strip having two angularly disposed grooves therein adapted to' receive the edges of two adjoining wall panels, two individual cabinet wall panels having their adjacent marginal edges inserted insaid two grooves respectively, inner and outer relatively rigid metal facing strips xedto said -rubber corner strip as a unitary part thereof, and means -for clamping said inner and'outer facing strips'V uponsaid' soft rubber corner strip andthereby highly compressing same and ysimultaneously sealingthe joints thereof with said panels.

2'. Inacabinet construction, invcombination, a

'v resilient rubber corner'strip having two angularly disposed Ygrooves therein adapted to receive the ledges of two a oining wall panels, two individual cabinet w panels having-their adjacent marginal-edges inserted in said two grooves respectively, inner and outer relatively rigid metal facing strips secured upon' opposite sides of said resilient corner strip as a unitary' part thereof,

and means for clamping said inner and outer l facing strips together to compress' theintermenxed thereto as a unitary part thereof, 'said rubber body having. groovesl therein'to receive the marginal edges of adjoining cabinet panels,

and clamping bolts interconnecting said metal facing strips whereby said resilient rubber body seals the marginal edges of the adjoining panels. 4. 'In a cabinet construction, in combination, two wall panels adjoining a corner of the cabinet, a unitary composite corner strip having aresilient rubber interior body and inner and outer metal facing strips therefor, said resilient.

body having two grooves to receive the marginal edges of said two panels respectively and 'means unitary 4with said composite corner strip for compressing said rubber body tightlyupon the margins of said two wall panels to isolatingly ilx said corner strip and panels together.

5. A cabinet adapted to be shipped in knockeddown form and then easily assembled, said cabinet comprising: separate unitary side and bot tom panels, a plurality of panel isolating'resilient rubber corner strips each having two grooves therein receiving the edges of the twgadioining panels, inner and outer metal corner strips clamped together .upon each of said resilientclamping means extending through said rubber corner strips and forcing said inner and outer metal corner-strips together. f

6. A cabinet adapted to be shipped in knockeddown form and then easilyassembled, said cabinet comprisingzseparate unitary side Vand bot- `tom panels,resilient rubber corner strips each having two grooves therein for the reception 'of the edges of adjoining panels, metal facing strips attached to opposite sidesof said resilient corner strips and clamped upon and compressing same upon the edges of said panels and providing firm sealed joints between adjoining panels.

7. A cabinet adapted to be shipped in knockeddown form and then easily assembled, said cabinet comprising; separate unitary side and bottom panels, resilient rubber corner strips each having two groovestherein for the reception of the edges of said panels, relatively rigid facing strips attached to the inner and outer sides of said resilient corner vstrips and v'clamped upon and compressing same upon the edges of 'saidpanels and thereby substantially sealing the Jointstherewith, and bolt means actuatable from- .w

- -HARVEY n; GEYER. 

